A nice surprise popped into the TVS email last week, a letter of appreciation from Allison Snyder. Allison is an Inclusion Education Major at Western Carolina University (WCU) who graduated from Rosman High School in 2019.
The letter is a nice reminder that our mission is visible in the community and how important our work is. Thank you to all TVS employees working to support our mission, and thank you to Allison for your kind words.
The spooky season was celebrated with festive outfits, hygiene care, and a spooky bake off at TVS this year.
TVS employees and program participants dressed up for the holiday for a chance to win two zero-gravity chairs or a double gravity chair. All individuals who dressed up were displayed on the break room TV for employees to vote on their favorite costume!
Congratulations to Sara Gibbs for winning the Halloween contest! Her scary clown costume spooked the most employee votes.
To complete the holiday, there was also a scary bake-off on Sunday, October 31st for TVS “C” shift employees.
“The Halloween bake-off was an easy idea. We had already been cooking for each other once a week prior to the holiday,” said “C” shift Supervisor Mitchell Rapp. “It brought the staff together and set a good tone for the rest of the day.”
On the menu were multiple items: edible intestines (Sara Gibbs & Devin Stepp), cut-off hand meatloaf (Esther & Charlie Parker), cut-off fingers and toes (Mary Larkin & Eric McGahee), baby fingers (Angie Ludy), candy corn (Will Coleman), stuffed hearts (Esther & Charlie Parker), and candy (Mandy Mathews).
Contestants were judged on taste and overall appearance. The judges were Production Supervisor Brian Wilson and his wife Lee Wilson, along with Supply Chain Manager Justin Frady.
“It was fun seeing the creative and demented ideas,” said Judge Brian Wilson. “I could tell that everyone was enjoying themselves which really made the experience that much more fun.”
But the overall winners were first place – “Edible Intestines” by Sara Gibbs and Devin Stepp, second place – “Cut-off Hand Meatloaf” by Esther and Charlie Parker, and third place – “Cut-off Fingers and Toes” by Mary Larkin and Eric MaGahee.
The top three winners earned a gift card to Hotels.com, Waffle House and Taco Bell.
Along with the holiday cheer, TVS employees were also gifted Halloween goody bags filled with floss, tooth paste and a tooth brush from the TVS Wellness Committee. October was National Dental Hygiene Month and with the trick-or-treating it was a healthy reminder for TVS employees to keep up with dental hygiene, in between pieces of candy!
Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) today announced its participation in National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of NDEAM is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme is “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion”
The history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945 when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word “physically” was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
“Our national recovery from the pandemic cannot be completed without the inclusion of all Americans, in particular people with disabilities,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Their contributions have historically been vital to our nation’s success, and are more important today than ever. We must build an economy that fully includes the talent and drive of those with disabilities.”
Reflecting this year’s theme, throughout the month, TVS will be engaging in a variety of activities to educate its employees and community on disability employment issues and its commitment to an inclusive work culture. These efforts include social media posts and informational articles located on the website.
“TVS is proud to be a part of this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month,” said Beth Rich, VP Business Development and Marketing. “We want to spread the important message that we value all perspectives, including those of individuals with disabilities.”
Employers and employees in all industries can learn more about how to participate in National Disability Employment Awareness Month and ways they can promote its messages — during October and throughout the year — by visiting www.dol.gov/NDEAM.
Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) has been a member of the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) since 2019. Our membership to the NADSP reflects value in TVS Direct Support Professionals (DSP) as professionals in the field. It is important to maintain a connection with an organization that promotes DSPs.
With National DSP Week coming to an end, TVS wants to give thanks to the hardworking DSPs that keep our Programs and Services thriving. We celebrate DSPs with this special week, but we honor and appreciate them year-round working at the heart of the TVS mission.
“It was important for us to affiliate with an organization that legitimizes the profession, speaks to its significance, and offers accessible information that provides training, support, and standards for this field. DSPs are not Personal Care Aides, as the current Department of Labor – Standard of Occupational Classification has them classified,” said Program Director Carla Hill. “DSPs are hired to support the full participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life through the provision of person-centered supports, to make informed decisions, and to support individuals to live the meaningful lives that they choose.”
The NADSP values the full participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life through the provision of person-centered supports; with a mission to elevate the status of DSPs by improving practice standards, promoting system reform, and advancing their knowledge, skills and values.
The NADSP provides a code of ethics that sets expectations for DSPs. This is a core of competencies that lists the skill requirements and standardizes of the professional field.
Through this membership, TVS DSPs are also able to participate in trainings and webinars that are specific to working with individuals who live with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
Learn more about the NADSP at https://nadsp.org/.
Being a Direct Support Professional (DSP) takes a special kind of person – one that Sam King says must be able to improvise, be flexible, and have resiliency. For the past decade, Sam has demonstrated all of this, all while being dependable and committed to TVS program participants and coworkers.
“Sam is correct about all these traits, and he displays these skills in his work. Nothing is ever unchanging when working with people, and you must be prepared to go with the flow and possibly turn on a dime,” said Program Director Carla Hill. “Sam has definitely developed these abilities in the dynamic environment where we work. He continues sharing his skills and talents to the delight of our participants and his coworkers.”
Before starting at TVS as an DSP in 2011, Sam worked as a DSP at other agencies in Transylvania County. “I really enjoyed the work and appreciated gaining knowledge about each individual’s personality and hobbies,” Sam said.
“Sam has not only been serving TVS but more importantly the participants in our programs,” reflected Carla. “When he first started at TVS, he had training as an EMT and was also active in the Tennessee National Guard. He would be called to serve one weekend a month with his unit in Tennessee and two weeks a year somewhere in the US to keep his skills sharp. You can see why I was excited to bring him on board.”
Sam also volunteered his free time as a first responder in Transylvania County.
Growing up Sam was an active member of the Boy Scouts, earning his Eagle Scout award in 2001. He moved to Brevard from Atlanta, Georgia to attend Brevard College. In 2008, Sam graduated with a degree in Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education (WLEE). “I really wanted to bring these experiences here and share my love of the great outdoors with the INTERACT program,” he said. “I enjoy the ‘real world’ experiences that are provided by us going out in the community and doing so many different activities.”
INTERACT Supervisor Jeanette Wayne said, “Sam diligently advocates with participants and strives to enrich their lives with meaningful activities and opportunities. He generously shares his talents and skills, especially in the areas of nature and music.”
You might see Sam out in the community with INTERACT participants. They could be volunteering at the Transylvania County Animal Shelter, riding horses at Free
Rein, or just playing some cornhole at the Railroad Depot.
“Sam brings a light-hearted humor to all situations,” said INTERACT Activities Coordinator Brooke Wilson. Brook has worked with Sam for the past 7 years.
“He is an advocate for all people and is a good listener for participants and coworkers,” she continues. “Sam has become more like a family member over the years because he genuinely cares about people and living life.”
Another aspect that Sam brings to the INTERACT program is his love of music. He teaches the music club in INTERACT. “I genre-hop and factor in what club members enjoy to help create the classes,” he said.
Currently, Sam has a newer hobby that involves learning new skills with a turn table.
“Sam is a great worker. I enjoy learning about different styles of music from him. Sam is a great friend and always is here to listen to me,” said INTERACT participant Jay.
Looking ahead, Sam has no plans on leaving the beautiful Brevard area or TVS. His reasons for staying include some of the same reasons that brought him here originally; stable pay, mileage payback, in-house insurances, and more growth opportunities.
And with more opportunities comes growth, even if that takes time. “I am currently a level 3 out of 4 DSP,” he explains. “Getting a level 4 certification will take me awhile because being a DSP is a full-time requirement.”
Reflecting back on the last 10 years Sam says, “I enjoy the challenges that come with the job and continuing to learn new skills. We have a great team of DSP’s and we all have our own skills that we bring to the program.”
